Light
by Aras Potter
Summary: After Walter's death, the Queen continues to mourn. But somehow light always wins in the end.


_A/N: __**Last night, I had a dream about the last scene of Fable III, which inspired me to write this. And just to warn everyone, I bawled when I wrote this. It's the first time I've ever cried while writing something. So, I guess that's kind of an achievement?**_

_**Tell me what you think.**_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Fable or any of it's characters._

…

_My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I threw circle after circle of fireball and shock. The shadows would die, then keep coming. I could hear Walter behind me, screaming instructions, and Ben, damning that thing back to wherever it came from._

_We burst through the shadows into a brighter light. Walter stood ready with his sword. My gauntlets crackled with electricity._

"_I can feel it," Walter said. "We're getting close to that thing. Where are you? Show yourself!"_

_My breath caught in my throat as Walter turned to face the Crawler itself. I tried to move forward, tried to help, but I was frozen in fear as it seemed to caress him. "The lost sheep returns to the flock. No one ever leaves the darkness behind."_

_The Crawler grabbed him, as I yelled in horror, began to merge with him as Ben cried out his name._

_I'd never felt this kind of horror before. My eyes filled with tears of rage and shock, as I realized what I would have to do._

"_Do you see what you have allowed? We are all shadows now."_

_I stepped back in surprise. It was Walter, but it wasn't. The voice was a bit of his, and a bit of the Crawlers. I shuddered, and stepped forward, unsheathing my sword, and fighting back my tears._

_I raised my sword and rushed forward, thrusting at him, then rolling aside. The Crawler beckoned me to join him. I let out a yell and shot a quick spell at him._

"_You can beat it!" yelled Walter. It jolted me back suddenly. This was Walter speaking, and only him. He needed me. _

_I thrust and rolled away again, building up another spell and shooting it at him, then rolling away once more. I rushed from behind, waiting to thrust again, but this time I was not so lucky. Walter, no the creature, turned and slammed his sword against mine, pushing me back, then cutting quickly. I felt the sword hit my hand hard and I gasped in pain as warm blood flowed from me._

"_Don't hold back!" cried Walter. "Don't! I'm ready."_

_I shook my head at the thought. Ready for death. I screamed and brought down my sword hard against him._

_The words of the Crawler, beckoning me, calling me kept coming. Then Walter would bring me back to reality. I shot spell after spell at him, and continually used my flourish against him. Every time my sword hit him, I cried out in anguish. I fought against the hot tears in my eyes._

'_It would be nice to give up,' I thought. 'To give in to death.' _

"_Kill it!" cried Walter. _

_With a jolt I raised the sword I'd been lowering. I closed my eyes and built up my flourish as my angel wings flowed glowing and blue from my back._

_Walter… the creature fell. The fog and blackness lifted, and I dropped beside Walter._

"_I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."_

_Walter smiled. "You've always done me proud…"_

I awoke with a scream. In a second, the gauntlets on my wrist were charged, but there was nothing in my bedroom, nothing to fight.

I took in rattling gasps, my whole body shaking. Then, my knees scrunched up tight to my body, and my head fell against them as I started to cry.

The bedroom door banged open, and I heard nervous little footsteps come clattering in.

"My Queen?" asked the voice of Hobson. I turned away from him, my shoulders still shaking.

"Please," I begged through sobs. "Please leave me."

The man needed no more encouragement. I heard him rush to the door, and heard it slam.

I reached out and felt the warm, breathing mound of fur beside me. My fingers tightened on Duke's soft fur, and he sighed happily in his sleep. I leaned down and placed my head on his rising and falling stomach, feeling that there was at least something alive and good in the world.

Still sobbing, I pulled myself out of my large bed, feet touching the cold floor, and my nightgown falling gracefully around me.

I walked to my doors and pulled them open, rushing from my room without a second thought.

Rain poured from the sky as I ran into the courtyard, bare feet splashing in the puddles. Through the rain I could see Walter's tall statue.

I rushed forward and fell at his feet, tears pouring from my eyes.

"Why did you leave me?" I choked. "Oh, God, why did you have to leave me?"

My head fell, and my fingers clutched at cold stone. I could hear him crying, hear him encouraging me to kill him, could hear our steel clashing…

"_You've always done me proud."_

"No," I choked. "I couldn't save you."

A gentle hand touched my shoulder and I looked up into the kind blue eyes of Ben Finn.

"You're getting wet, Your Majesty," he said, trying to give a jovially smile. I could see the moistness in his eyes, though.

"I couldn't save him, Ben," I whispered.

Ben's hand squeezed my shoulder. "You did, though."

I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed in a shuddering breath. I heard his last words. _"I can see the sky, and it's light." _

I nodded gently. Ben pulled me up and took me into his arms in an embrace. I cried upon his shoulder as the rain poured down.

"You did save him," Ben whispered again.

We seemed to stand there for forever. As I drew in a shaky breath, the rain began to clear.

"Come on, Your Majesty," said Ben gently. He began to lead me back toward the castle.

I looked back once more at Walter. A cloud shifted at that very moment, and the full moon shone on his face. In that moment, I could see Walter smiling.


End file.
